Assembly Bill No. 488–Committee on
Health and Human Services
CHAPTER..........
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Chapter 450B of NRS is hereby amended by adding thereto a new section to read as follows:
1. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, no permit may be issued pursuant to this chapter authorizing a fire-fighting agency to provide intermediate or advanced medical care to sick or injured persons while transporting those persons to a medical facility.
2. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 9 of NRS 450B.200, the county or district board of health in a county whose population is 400,000 or more may issue a permit pursuant to NRS 450B.200 or 450B.210 authorizing a fire-fighting agency to provide intermediate or advanced medical care to sick or injured persons at the scene of an emergency and while transporting those persons to a medical facility.
Sec. 2. NRS 450B.040 is hereby amended to read as follows:
450B.040 “Ambulance” means a motor vehicle which is specially designed, constructed, equipped and staffed to provide basic, intermediate or advanced care for one or more:
1. Sick or injured persons; or
2. Persons whose medical condition may require special observation during transportation or transfer[.] ,
including, without limitation, such a vehicle of a fire-fighting agency.
Sec. 3. NRS 450B.072 is hereby amended to read as follows:
450B.072 “Fire-fighting agency” means a fire department or fire
protection district of the state or a political subdivision which holds a
permit [authorizing it to provide intermediate or advanced medical care to
sick or injured persons at the scene of an emergency. This ] issued
pursuant to this chapter. The term does not include a person or
governmental entity , other than a governmental entity to whom a permit
is issued in accordance with the provisions of section 1 of this act, which
provides transportation of [those] sick or injured persons to a medical
facility.
Sec. 4. NRS 450B.100 is hereby amended to read as follows:
450B.100 “Permit” means the permit issued by the health authority
under the provisions of this chapter to:
1. A person, agency of the state or political subdivision to own or
operate an ambulance or air ambulance in the State of Nevada; or
2. A fire-fighting agency to provide intermediate or advanced medical
care [at] to sick or injured persons:
(a) At the scene of an emergency[.] ; or
(b) At the scene of an emergency and while transporting those persons
to a medical facility.
Sec. 5. NRS 450B.240 is hereby amended to read as follows:
450B.240 1. A person or governmental entity shall not engage in the
operation of any ambulance or air ambulance service in this state without a
currently valid permit for that service issued by the health authority.
2. A fire-fighting agency shall not provide intermediate or advanced
medical care to sick or injured persons at the scene of an emergency or
while transporting those persons to a medical facility without a currently
valid permit for that care issued by the health authority.
Sec. 6. NRS 450B.250 is hereby amended to read as follows:
450B.250 Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, a person shall
not serve as an attendant on any ambulance or air ambulance and a fireman
shall not provide intermediate or advanced medical care to sick or injured
persons at the scene of an emergency or while transporting those persons
to a medical facility unless he holds a currently valid license issued by the
health authority under the provisions of this chapter.
Sec. 7. NRS 450B.260 is hereby amended to read as follows:
450B.260 1. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the public
or private owner of an ambulance or air ambulance or a fire-fighting
agency which owns a vehicle used in providing medical care to sick or
injured persons at the scene of an emergency or while transporting those
persons to a medical facility shall not permit its operation and use by any
person not licensed under this chapter.
2. An ambulance carrying a sick or injured patient must be occupied
by a driver and an attendant, each of whom is licensed as an attendant
pursuant to this chapter or exempt from licensing pursuant to subsection 6
of NRS 450B.160, except as otherwise provided in subsection 5 or in
geographic areas which may be designated by the board and for which the
board may prescribe lesser qualifications.
3. An air ambulance carrying a sick or injured patient must be
occupied by a licensed attendant, or a person exempt from licensing
pursuant to subsection 6 of NRS 450B.160, in addition to the pilot of the
aircraft.
4. The pilot of an air ambulance is not required to have a license under
this chapter.
5. A person who operates or uses a vehicle owned by a fire-fighting
agency is not required to be licensed under this chapter, except that such a
vehicle may not be used to provide intermediate or advanced medical care
[at] to sick or injured persons:
(a) At the scene of an emergency unless at least one person in the
vehicle is licensed to provide the care[.] ; or
(b) While transporting those persons to a medical facility unless at
least two persons in the vehicle are licensed to provide the care.
Sec. 8. NRS 244.2961 is hereby amended to read as follows:
244.2961 1. The board of county commissioners may by ordinance
create a district for a fire department. The board of county commissioners
is ex officio the governing body of any district created pursuant to this
section and may:
(a) Organize, regulate and maintain the fire department.
(b) Appoint and prescribe the duties of the fire chief.
(c) Designate arson investigators as peace officers.
(d) Regulate or prohibit the storage of any explosive, combustible or
inflammable material in or transported through the county, and prescribe
the distance from any residential or commercial area where it may be kept.
Any ordinance adopted pursuant to this paragraph that regulates places of
employment where explosives are stored must be at least as stringent as the
standards and procedures adopted by the division of industrial relations of
the department of business and industry pursuant to NRS 618.890.
(e) Establish, by ordinance, a fire code and other regulations necessary
to carry out the purposes of this section.
(f) Include the budget of the district in the budget of the county.
(g) Hold meetings of the governing body of the district in conjunction
with the meetings of the board of county commissioners without posting
additional notices of the meetings within the district.
2. If the fire department transports sick or injured persons to a
medical facility, the board of county commissioners shall adopt:
(a) An ordinance:
(1) Requiring the fire department to defray the expenses of
furnishing such transportation by imposing and collecting fees; and
(2) Establishing a schedule of such fees; or
(b) An ordinance prohibiting the imposition and collection of any fees
for such transportation.
3. The other officers and employees of the county shall perform duties
for the district that correspond to the duties they perform for the county.
[3.] 4. All persons employed to perform the functions of the fire
department are employees of the county for all purposes.
Sec. 9. This act becomes effective on July 1, 2001.
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